Weekend Recap: What Happened at the Box Office?

Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox

October 8th, 2012

Weekend Recap: What Happened at the Box Office?

"Taken 2" easily landed the top honors at the box office this weekend, finishing off its debut weekend with an impressive $50 million in profits. Liam Neeson stars as a retired CIA operative who has some ruthless enemies lurking in the shadows. When he ends up in grave danger during a vacation with his wife, Bryan Mills has to draw on unexpected sources for help. However, it still may not be enough to save him. The adrenaline-filled sequel has a PG-13 rating for brief sensuality and sequences of violence and action.

Tim Burton's family-friendly "Frankenweenie" wound up in fourth place, bringing in $12,300,000. Victor Frankenstein is a shy and eccentric boy, but he has a best friend in the form of Sparky, his bull terrier. Victor assumes Sparky will be with him forever. Even after an accident takes Sparky's life, Victor sees no reason to say goodbye to his pal, thanks to the power of science. "Frankenweenie" has a PG rating for action, scary images, and thematic elements.

Continuing Films

"Hotel Transylvania" continued to perform well, beating out Burton's spooky animated film with profits of $27 million. Total earnings now reach over $76 million.
Dracula is a doting dad to his daughter, Mavis. Approaching her 118th birthday, Mavis is getting restless, and Dracula hopes to distract her with a lavish birthday bash. However, a human interloper changes all his plans, and only makes things worse between Dracula and Mavis. The PG rating is due to rude humor, scary images, and action.

After expanding from its original limited release, the hilarious comedy "Pitch Perfect" has performed well at the box office, earning over $14 million this weekend and bringing total profits to over $21 million. After reluctantly agreeing to become part of her school's singing group, freshman Beca ends up in the middle of a heated and energetic rivalry between the all-female and all-male a cappella groups. The Treble Makers and the Bellas will have to work hard to out-sing each other. The PG-13 rating is due to mature content, drug references, and language.

"Looper" brought in $11,700,000 this weekend, with overall profits of more than $39 million. Joe is an ordinary guy with a less-than-ordinary job. As a hired gun, he has to take care of undesirables sent to him by his bosses, who operate thirty years in the future. When Joe recognizes his future self among his victims, he has to think quickly to save his own life. "Looper" has an R rating for language, nudity, mature content, strong violence, and drug-related content.

"End of Watch" saw $3,900,000 in box office returns, bringing its total to over $32 million. Two young police officers have a chance to see just how risky and dangerous their jobs can be. While patrolling Los Angeles, the two end up accidentally enraging members of a powerful drug cartel, marking them for certain death. The R rating is because of drug use, strong violence, pervasive language, and disturbing images.

"Trouble with the Curve" earned $3,700,000. The poignant drama has brought in over $29 million during its three weeks in theaters. Amy Adams stars as Mickey, a faithful daughter to an aging, stubborn father. Gus is a scout for the Atlanta Braves, but he worries that his poor vision will cost him his job. Wanting to prove his worth one last time, Gus heads out on a recruiting mission, accompanied by Mickey. "Trouble with the Curve" has a PG-13 rating for mature references, thematic material, smoking, and language.

Movies to DVD

"Rock of Ages" arrives out on DVD and Blu-Ray this Tuesday, October 9th. The star-studded musical comedy tells the classic story of a boy and girl who meet and fall in love. Only this time, the setting is 1980s Los Angeles, and everyone dreams of either becoming a famous rock n' roll star or getting close to one. "Rock of Ages" has a PG-13 rating for mature content, suggestive dancing, language, and heavy drinking.

"Prometheus" is the latest offering from director Ridley Scott. In the year 2089, archeologists discover clues that could help reveal the origins of humankind. Four years later, a team of explorers land on a hostile, alien planet, unsure of what they will uncover. It soon becomes clear that they should never have tried to solve the mystery. The film's R rating is due to brief language and intense scenes, including strong violence.

"The Raven" stars John Cusack as Edgar Allan Poe, the famously morbid writer. In this film, Poe is down on his luck. When a string of gruesome murders suggest that the killer draws inspiration from Poe's works, the writer might have a second chance to redeem himself, this time as a cunning detective. The R rating is due to grisly images and strong violence.